It’s Exciting to Imagine!

12/17/04

Afghanistan has had popular democratic elections! A new president has been Inaugurated! If you had told me that last year, I would have expected jubilation in the streets. I would have asked how many American troops died in the run-up to let this happen. This is a large win for the US in the War On Terror. I think I consider this as big as taking Guadalcanal in WWII. It is the first time we have shown that a terrorist supporting/supported government can be toppled and a new non-totalitarian government allowed to grow. Wow!

Now, it looks more and more like Iraq really can follow suit. I hear from many sources that the election will not mean anything if the Sunni people do not participate. Au Contraire! If the Sunnis do not want to participate, tough for them. In the past, the Baathists were allowed to participate to some small degree but the rest of the country was plain and simply suppressed. No one is suppressing the Sunnis. When the election happens, some of them will vote. If others do not, well, so be it. We don’t have 100% participation. Does that mean that our elections are invalid? (I am sure the Democrats will shout a resounding YES! to that, but most of us understand that the answer is NO!)

If, after the election, the Sunnis think it was unfair or that they were cheated, it might mean a civil war. Well, that is their choice. We removed Hussein and allowed them to vote. After that, it is not our decision. Our goal was to stop a destructive tyrant that hated America from hurting America with existing or soon to exist weapons. No, I don’t think that he would develop a ICBM, but a dirty bomb in the hands of Dark-Age Islamists (Thanks, Victor Davis Hanson for a great phrase!) would be every bit as bad.

We are making great strides in World War IV. Afghanistan and Iraq are free if not completely stable. Libya has lost its somewhat advanced position in WMD. We have made progress in Saudi Arabia and the latest “agreement” with Iran on Nuclear weapons, as mild and impermanent as it is, was arguably caused by the re election of Bush.

It is not all peace and joy. War is Hell. We have had some reverses. In general, however, we are on track to make major changes for the better in the world and to our safe and free existence.
It is good!